ociated may not hang together. But those ideas hold
together in the firmest way that have been experienced together most
often in a state of attention. The diagram on page 147 illustrates
schematically the neural connections and cross-connections which are the
bases of the association of ideas, the circles _A_, _B_, _C_, _D_, _E_,
and _F_ represent brain processes which give rise to ideas, and the
lines represent connecting paths. Note that there are both direct and
indirect connections.

SUMMARY. Sensation and perception give us our first experience with
things; memory is revived experience. It enables us to live our
experience over again and is therefore one of the most important
human traits. The physiological basis of memory is in the brain and
nervous system. Memory improves with practice and up to a certain
point with the age of the person. It is better in girls than in
boys. Good memory depends on vivid experience in the first place and
on organization and repetition afterward. The person who learns
quickly usually retains well also. Memory training is specific. The
extension of the learning process over a long time is favorable to
memory. Memory ideas are the basis of thinking and reasoning.

CLASS EXERCISES

1. The teacher can test the auditory memory of the members of the class
for rote material by using letters. It is better to omit the vowels,
using only the consonants. Prepare five groups of letters with eight
letters in a group. Read each group of letters to the class, slowly and
distinctly. After reading a group, allow time for the students to write
down what they recall, then read the next group and so proceed till the
five groups have been read. Grade the work by finding the number of
letters reproduced, taking no account of the position of the letters.

2. In a similar way, test visual memory, using different combinations of
letters. Write the letters plainly on five large squares of cardboard.
Hold each list before the class for as long a time as it took to read a
group in experiment No. 1.

3. Test memory for words in a similar way. Use simple words of one
syllable, making five lists with eight words in a list.

4. Test memory for objects by fastening common objects on a large
cardboard and holding the card before the class. Put eight objects on
each card and prepare five cards. Expose them for the same length of
time as in experiment No. 2.

5. Test memory for _names_